Ebner-Ebenauer
Gruner Veltliner Ried Sauberg Reserve – 2019
Region: Austria - Weinviertel
Ebner-Ebenauer
Deep in a four hundred year old cellar, a quiet, studious man weighs careful decisions to create exquisite wines from each of the special parcels in the Weinviertel. He asks his accomplished, exuberant wife to join him in crafting the perfect blends that reflect their passionate partnership.
Once upon a time…this is how fairy tales usually begin. But sometimes real life is a fairy tale, and that is the case for Marion and Manfred Ebner-Ebenauer. While the Ebner-Ebenauer label was born in 2007, when the two winemakers decided to share their lives, the history of winemaking in Manfred’s family stretches back fourteen generations. Today Ebner-Ebenauer is a mixture of old and new. The 400 year old cellar and modern style of the careful winery renovation. Traditional winemaking, gravity fed, gentle pressing. Using new methods when appropriate. “Respect the traditions but change if not useful.”
The Wine
Vineyard Profile
Ried Sauberg is a wonderful high plateau where the pigs once made their home, near village of Poysdorf
- Soils: Gravel soils meet loam from neighboring Ried Bursting
- Vines Planted: early 1960s – over 55 years old
- Warm soils and meager yields
Harvest Notes
- Hand harvested at high Spätlese level of ripeness in October
- Berries hand sorted in vineyard into 20 kg bins
- 24 hour skin contact, then brief settling
- Only indigenous yeasts spontaneously ferment in used 500-liter oak casks and stainless steel tanks
- Bottled in May
Winemaker's Notes
Gruner Veltliner Sauberg combines the structure and minerality of the gravel soils with the complexity of the loam. Firm but quite juicy, with a fine overlay of spices and magnificent complexity. There is an almost salty character to its presence in the glass.
Pair with meat, vegetables au gratin, Thai cuisine, braised or baked dishes, and cheeses.
Wine Summary
100% Gruner Veltliner; alcohol: 13.5%; single Sauberg vineyard on high plateau; soils gravel and loam; vineyard planted early 1960s; hand harvested in October at high Spätlese ripeness; 24 hour skin contact; brief settling; only indigenous yeasts spontaneously ferment in combination of used 500L oak casks and stainless steel tanks; bottled in May.
Technical Information
- 100% Gruner Veltliner grapes
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Total Acidity: 5.1 g/l
- Residual Sugar: 3.4 g/l
Reviews
95 Points
Generosity, smoothness and yeasty savor become apparent with the very first whiff of this wine. That rich miso savoriness is supplemented on the palate with juicy Mirabelle, a wealth of crushed sage and yeasty creaminess. A spike of ripe, bright lemon freshness highlights the essential saltiness.
Wine Enthusiast, March, 2021
16.5 Points
Vines 50+ years old on a soil made up of clay, gravel and loess. As with the Bürsting bottling, half of this wine went into a 500-litre cask and the rest into tank.
Very pale, limpid, palest green. Interesting, rather ethereal nose that, strangely enough, has notes of salami and talcum powder! Ripe palate entry and then a fine, sleek texture. Very polished. Quite long with a hint of lychees on the end. 2021 – 2028
JancisRobinson.com, February, 2021
92 Points
From a plateau and 50+-year-old vines, the 2019 Grüner Veltliner Sauberg is clear, pure, fine and fresh on the precise and at least interesting nose that is surprisingly coolish and even leafy for that vintage. It also reveals perfectly ripe Golden Delicious (apple) aromas intertwined with some earthy notes. On the palate, this is a firm and well-concentrated, juicy and sustainably structured Sauberg with terroir character and real personality. Excellent. 2022 – 2032
© Wine Advocate, April, 2021
General Info
| Country | Austria |
| Region | Niederösterreich |
| Appellation(s) | Weinviertel |
| Proprietors | Marion & Manfred Ebner-Ebenauer |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Winemaker | Manfred Ebner-Ebenauer |
| Annual Production | |
| Farming (Sustainable, organic, biodynamic) | Organic/biodynamic |